Pneumatic power transmitter



April 22 1924. 1,491,505

0. WILSON PNEUMATI C POWER TRANSMITTER Filed May 31. 1922 H. i 9 6 -r I 21 :Yr i

1 i ,2, 22 H H II In F 1 i: 6

BQLLL I I l i Patented Apr. 2.2, 1924.

osoan wriesorr, on sari r-nancrsco, CALIFORNIA.

PNEUMATIC rowan tcnansmrrrnn.

Application med May 31,

To all on 71.0 m it may concern Be it known that I, Gsoan W'ILsoN, a ieizen of the United States. residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Power Transmitters, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to a transmission mechanism and especially to a transmission which ispneumatically actuated or driven.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify devices of the characterdescribed, and particularly to provide a source of air supply maintained under constant volume and. pressure, and means actuated thereby whereby power may be pneumatically transmitted to rotate a shaft in one direction, and whereby reversal and manual rotation of the shaft'will return the air to said source. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

One form which my invention may assume is exempliied in the followin escription and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of the pneumatic power transmitter. V

Fig. 2 is a detail view showingthe rack bar and the shaft and gears actuated thereby.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a tank constructed of suitable material which is adapted to receive air under pressure. Disposed on one side of the tank is a cylinder B and mounted therein is a plunger or piston 2 to which isattached a rack bar 3. The lower end of the cylinder is closed, as at a, and it is connected with the tank A by means of a pipe 5, said pipe being provided with a pressure gauge 6, a valve 7 and a pneumatic valve 8, such as used in connection with automobile tires, and which in this instance is employed for recharging the tank if the pressure drops below a predetermined limit. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a head memher 9 and this serves as a guide for the rack bar 3. No stuffing box is required at this point as the air pressure is exerted on onesideof the plunger'only.

Forming a closure for the tank A and the cylinder B is a box-like casing C, and journalled in the upper end thereof is a plurality of shafts as indicated at 10, 1 1, 12 and 13. Mounted on the shaft 10 is a spur pinion 14, which remains in constant mesh 1922. Serial No. 564,810.

with the rack bar 3, and also mounted on t-hejsame' shaft is a ratchetgear 15and a spur gear 16. The gears 14 and 15 are keyed or otherwise secured tothe shaft, while the gear 16 s freely turn-able thereon.- This gear carries-a pawl 17 which is pivotally mounted, as at 18, and a driving oonnection is formed between the shaft 10, the

1 ratchet gear 15 and the gear16 when shaft 10 is rotated by means of the rack bar 3. V

Reversal of shaft 10, as will hereinafter be described, does not transmit movement to the gear 16 as the ratchetgear 15 will then turn freely under the pawl. V V

, 'Shaft 10 is adapted tobe rotated by means of the air pressure exerted onthe plunger for the purpose of driving'a fan 20, but.

it may be used for any'purpose desired.

For instance a pulley -may be mounted on:

thisshaft and this pulley may be employed forthe purpose of transmitting power to driveother machinery. r g

In actual operationftankqA is charged 2 when this moves in an upward. direcwith air to a suitable pressure through means of the valve 8. This air underpressure will pass through the pipe 5 into the lower end of the cylinder'B, and-it will thus .exert pressure on the pistonor plunger 2' which will force the same in an upward clirection'. Upward movement ofthe piston and the rack bar 3 carried thereby will in turn be transmitted to the spur gear 14:, and as this is keyed or otherwise secured on shaft 10 it can be seen that rotary movement in one' direction will be transmitted to said shaft; further, as the ratchet gear 15 is also keyed to the shaft that this will rotate a-nd'engage the pawl 17 and thereby transmit rotary movement to the gear 16..

This gear in turn transmits rotary movement through the gear train 19. and shaft 13 will thus be rotated atv a fairly high speed, which speed will be dependent upon the ratio or relation between the gears dis-' posed in'the train 19. For instance, if a fan is to be driven, as shown at 20, afairly high speed will be desired. Again, if a pulley is mounted on the shaft and ma chineryis to be-driven thereby, thespeed may be decreased or increased asdesired.

When the plunger or piston reaches the upper end of its stroke, it is obvious that return movement will be necessary. Return movement is in this instance transmitted to the piston through shaft 10, gear 14:, and the rack bar 3. A. hand crank 21 is disposed on the outer end of shaft 10 and this is manually turned in the direction which will reverse the movement of the shaft. Gear 1% being in constant mesh with the rack bar will for this reason reverse the movement of the rack bar and the piston and the gear train 19 will remain idle as the spur gear 15 will ride in under the pawl. The air under pressure delivered by the tankA through the piper5 will now be recompressed and returned to the tankand \vhen'the lowermost position of the piston and rack bar is assumed, shaft 10 may again be released so that'the air may be employed for the purpose of forcing the piston in an upward direction.

Recharging of the tank A will not be necessary except at considerable time intervals asthe only air that can escape is such as may leak by the piston 2, but as this piston employs a cup-leather, as indicated at 22, and as it is otherwise lubricated with a heavy grease or the like, it is obvious that such leakage will be comparatively small.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the air in the tank A is used over and over again, that'is free expansion of the air is permitted during the upward stroke ofthe piston, but it is recompressed during the manual return of the piston. It may further be stated that the capacity of the tank A is such that no appreciable drop in pressure will be noticed when the piston reaches the limit of its stroke as the capacity of the cylinder B is very small when com- )flIlSOD is made with that of. the tank A.

fence uniform movement and power transmission are obtained during the entire upward stroke of the piston.

lVhile certain features of the present invention are more or less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may by such as the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or Various uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described a container for the receptionof air under pressure. a cylinder in direct communication therewith, a piston in said cylinder adapted to be moved in one direction by the air under pressure, a shaft, means for transmitting rotary movement to the shaft during said movement of the piston, means rotated by said shaft in one direction and means for manually reversing the rotary movement of the shaft to return the piston and to return the air to the container, and without imparting reverse rotary movement to the means driven by the shaft.

2. In a device of the character described a cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, means connected with one end of the cylinder for delivering air under pressure thereto to move the piston in one direction, a rack bar carried by the piston, a shaft having a gear secured thereon intermeshing with the rack bar and adapted to be rotated by the rack bar, a gear train adapted to be rotated in one direction by said shaft, and manually actuated means for reversing the rotation of the shaft to reverse the movement of the rack bar and the piston. I

3. In a device of the character described, a cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, a rack bar carried by the piston and projecting through one end of the cylinder and guided thereby, a shaft, a gear secured on the shaft intermeshing with the rack bar, said rack bar adapted to rotate the gear and the shaft in one direction, a ratchet gear secured on the shaft, a second gear turnably mounted on the shaft, a pawl carried by said gear and engaging the ratchet gear when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and means for manually reversing the movement of the shaft to reverse the movement of the rack bar and the piston, said pawl being automatically disengaged to permit the second gear to remain stationary during said reversal.

In a device of the character described a cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted therein, a rack bar carried by the piston and projecting through one end of the cylinder and guided thereby, a shaft, a gear secured on the shaft intermeshing with the rack bar, said rack bar adapted to rotate the gear and the shaft in one direction, a ratchet gear secured on the shaft, a second gear tu'rnably mounted on the shaft, a pawl carried by said gear and engaging the ratchet gear when the shaft is rotated in one direction, means for manually reversing the movement of the shaft to reverse the movement of the rack bar and the piston, said pawl being automatically disengaged to permit the second gear to remain stationary during said reversal, a tank adapted to receive air under pressure, and a pipe connecting the tank with one end of the cylinder, said air under pressure adapted to transmit movement to the piston in one direction, and said manual reversing mechanism adapted to reverse the movement of the piston and to return the air to the tank.

OSCAR WILSON. 

